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===BREAK===
One of the twin-tailed girls was particularly excited.
She held the nozzles of her flamethrowers at her sides, and as her body swayed, flames continuously shot out.
The fire danced in the air, spreading heat in all directions.
It was Burnice.
"This is really some fire enthusiasm, hahaha!"
"Just… a bit too fiery."
Belle and Yiji shrank back behind Arden.
Although they had seen many performances before, this was their first time seeing someone play with fire like this. They were afraid their hair might catch fire, and at the same time, they were impressed that Burnice wasn't singed, turning into a Grilled Burnice.
"Stop it, Burnice! Are you trying to scare away the guests!?"
A spiked club swung down, and Burnice nimbly dodged it.
Smack~!
The ground below was crushed into a dent.
Lucy held the spiked club, accompanied by three little red creatures.
At first glance, they looked like Bangboo, but on closer inspection, they were actually juvenile wild boar Thiren.
Lucy gave Arden a "pointy head" impression, thanks to the spiked helmet covering most of her golden hair.
"Turn off the fire!"
Lucy raised the spiked club, pointing at Burnice.
"Oh!"
Burnice reluctantly shut off the flamethrowers.
Watching these people interact in such bizarre ways only made her more uneasy. This place was completely unlike any environment she was familiar with. Even before experiencing the Outer Ring's environment, she had already "died" once… cough cough! She had experienced savagery.
"I heard you just now, hahaha. Don't be nervous. Since you and Billy are cut from the same cloth, and with the earlier welcome ceremony, for us, you're friends who've participated in a 'cremation' together."
Caesar approached Arden and the others, using her peculiar cultural expressions to make a connection. For the three with only a university-level education, her phrasing was a bit too advanced.
"Ah, right, right, we've been in cahoots for a long time, haha…"
Seeing Yiji and Arden with stunned expressions—after all, Yunkui Summit emphasized both martial training and cultural studies—if a disciple's academic performance didn't meet the mark, especially close to Caesar's level, the Grandmaster Yixuan would definitely notice and send them to divine punishment, right?
As for Belle, having grown up on the streets, her experiences were broader. To avoid making the atmosphere too awkward, she matched Caesar with a similarly sophisticated idiomatic phrase.
"'In cahoots'? Shouldn't it be 'sincere cooperation'?"
Facing Belle's cooperation, Caesar rare displayed her cultured side.
"Hmm…"
Now Belle was at a loss for words.
Pfft—hahaha!
Yiji couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"..."
Arden struggled to hold back his laughter.
"Alright, let's get down to business."
In the end, Arden changed the subject.
"Billy has already told me everything, and we, the Sons of Calydon, would like to ask for your help."
Caesar's meaning was clear: she could hand over Perlman, but in exchange, Arden, Belle, and Yiji would need to do a favor for the Sons of Calydon.
It was fair and consistent with the style of the Outer Ring and the Sons of Calydon.
"The problem is, Perlman's fall to the Outer Ring was a complete mess. Though his bucket-like body absorbed some impact, he still sustained severe injuries."
"I know, that's why I'm here!"
Arden nodded. "No time to waste. Let me see if Perlman can still be saved."
"Wait, wait a second!"
At this moment, the blonde young lady spoke up, glaring at Caesar with a look of disbelief. "Caesar, are you an idiot? Negotiations haven't even started, and you just handed over such an important bargaining chip!?"
Lucy's heart sank. She had devised the negotiation plan to sell Perlman for the best price, ideally in stages: first information about Perlman, then Perlman in their hands, and finally, his ultimate fate.
"Negotiations? Bargaining chip? Lucy, you talk like a petty little person. Using someone's weakness this way shows no Overlord spirit at all!"
Caesar frowned, clearly displeased.
It was evident she was the kind who absolutely refused to play intrigue. Such a person could be called an Overlord—but only if she had the power to control everything; otherwise, she would easily suffer losses.
"You say it so easily! I painstakingly blocked the information, all for today! If the deal with Phaethon fails, how am I supposed to find reliable proxies to ride with us through the Inferno?"
Lucy looked frustrated, as Caesar's external brain. She had tried so hard to gain advantages for their group, only to have this reckless woman ruin it. Her blood pressure had been like a roller coaster all day.
"Sons of Calydon, rest assured. As long as Perlman lives, we will provide generous compensation, guaranteed to satisfy you."
In the end, Arden spoke, putting an end to the matter. Though he enjoyed watching the chaos, business came first.
…
In a wasteland-style wooden cabin, Arden saw Perlman lying unconscious on the bed.
He was wrapped in thick bandages, and Arden immediately began checking him.
"Ugh…"
After a moment, Arden frowned, then waved his hand. "Everyone, out!"
Perlman's injuries were severe, including multiple fractures, but the main concern was his brain trauma. Even if he recovered, he could lose some memories.
He needed to testify in court, and losing critical memories would be a disaster. To be safe, Arden planned to exchange some high-grade medicine from the system points store, combined with acupuncture, to treat him.
…
Outside the cabin, while Arden treated Perlman.
"Coming to the Outer Ring shows respect. Even if you refuse to help, I won't change my mind about Perlman's situation."
Caesar solemnly promised Belle and Yiji.
"No wonder Billy speaks so highly of you. Truly a capable woman."
Belle looked at Caesar appreciatively. People Billy knew were impressive, even those with such personalities. Belle enjoyed interacting with straightforward people—no brains needed.
Unlike Yiji, who was clever. During her time learning proxy skills from Yiji, their sibling secrets were almost completely uncovered.
"But don't worry. As Daoist Arden said, I understand the principle of receiving no reward without merit. Since you all are sincere, Phaethon will definitely help."
Belle looked at Yiji. "No problem, right?"
Yiji was practically half a member of Phaethon herself.
"Mm."
Yiji nodded. Arden was helping, so she wouldn't hold back.
===BREAK===
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